Under the Purple Umbrella
by treacher
Summary: Love brings us happiness... and pain... Real Life AU. One-shot.


**A/N: C** ircle is here! The weather get so strange lately, sometimes it would be sunny all day long or raining heavily. I get so sentimental lately, too, and then this story was born. As a precaution, I hope I don't surprise you all with the way I use the original characters.

Anyone reading my first story here? The **do and repeat** one? What do you think about it written into a multi-chaptered story? I'm looking forward to your opinion!

Thank you for taking your time reading this and I hope you enjoy this story! Please be kind to encourage me by leaving review!

Cookies!

* * *

 _ **Under the Purple Umbrella**_

 _Love brings us happiness… and pain…_

 _._

 _We made a promise under the rain, under that umbrella years ago. I still remember it. It's hard not to._

 _._

 _Twelve years ago_

A wide smile and rosy cheeks splashed a color to the twelve year old girl in her blue knee-length play dress. She walked and she took steps carefully, avoiding the puddles and mud that endangered her clothes' neatness. Her black rain boots, on the complete opposite, were happily meeting the damp pavement that slowly grew less watery as the rain ceased. She happily glanced at the sky, noting that the sky wasn't as barren as the hour before and that the heavy grey clouds started to drift away to the west.

The faint fresh scent of rose on her sensitive nose took her attention away from the sky. On the corner of the street was a flower shop, one that offered the prettiest flowers from almost all season. Her smile widened as she walked a bit faster to the small shop. The bell jingled as she opened the door.

"Welcome!" A male florist, Taki-kun, chirped as he put away the book about flower arrangement. His brown hair looked a bit damp and his clothes were slightly dirty with soil, but he smelled nice, just like the flower shop.

The girl closed the umbrella and put it in the corner, letting the rain water to slide off the purple colored plastic. She then turned and quickly investigated the flowers near her, a pot of bright yellow daisy, before moving to the next one.

"Looking for something bright, Lucy-chan?" Taki-kun approached the girl, hand on hips as he tucked a daisy in her hair.

"Something bright and have a lucky charm!" She replied, beaming to the older male and silently thanking for the flower.

Taki-kun chuckled at her cheerful attitude. "Hoo? Is it for someone special?"

"Hai! And for a special, very, _very_ special occasion!"

He crouched, motioning the girl to whisper it to his ears. She thought about it for a while before finally leaned with hand cupped the side of her mouth. "I'm going to confess today!"

…

…

…

Her heart was hammering on her ribcage. The single daisy in her hand was tightly held as she waited patiently on the cold iron chair. A young woman with pale pink hair walked in her direction, she gave her a smile which Lucy returned.

"Please wait a bit, okay? I can't let you enter before the allowed time, even if you are a regular visitor, Lu-chan," she said kindly. A strand of hair fell in front of her face and Lucy giggled at the nurse's small pout at the annoying hair. "I'll let him know you are here, however, and maybe Natsu-chan wants to accompany you here."

"Okay," was the only word she managed to say. The young nurse, still a nurse-in-training Lucy remembered she said last week, smiled again and walked to the counter and continued her work. A tight knot was formed in her stomach since she first stepped into the clean building and butterflies were scattered around her chest. She never felt this nervous before.

She then saw, to her relief, a pink haired boy with red shirt and ash grey knee-length pants. Around his neck was his trademark white scarf. He yawned widely as he slowly made his walk to her. Lucy found herself growing more nervous in return.

The boy sat in the empty seat beside her wordlessly.

"Natsu," Lucy started, feeling he took a notice to her and she tensed. She forced her mind to think of any other things to alter her nervous. "Sensei asked me to give some paper for you to fill. I… um… it's about the field trip at the end of this month."

Lucy wasn't that surprised when he ignored her. He knew about it, after all. The confession.

"Don't be so nervous, Luce," he said instead, shoving his hand further to pocket and hid his mouth behind the scarf.

"But I can't! I'm so jittery!" She cried in a hushed tone, remembered that she was in the hospital instead of her or his house. "And I'm afraid, to be honest."

Natsu cocked his head to the side. "Why?"

"Because!" She sighed. "Because I don't want him to hate me… I mean after I tell him… that."

"The confession."

Lucy nodded.

Natsu groaned, scratched his spiky hair before lightly tapped her shoulder. "Relax, Luce. Nii-san wouldn't hate someone easily."

…

…

…

The bright flower was placed on the small blue vase near the window. It glistened as a small ray of sun touched it. The room they were in was quiet. She then took a deep breath and smiled.

"Zeref-nii," she said. "I like you."

The older boy in bed, with black hair in a fair contrast with his pale complexion stared at her. His black eyes stared gently at her, slowly meeting her eyes. Lucy didn't blush, and strangely, she felt nothing at the moment. She only waited patiently for a reaction, for a reply.

He then smiled and opened his mouth, replying in a small, barely audible voice.

…

…

…

"Zeref-nii, I like you."

His heart clenched, tightly, almost painfully. His hand inside the pocket clenched tightly, nails digging into his palm. Eyebrows knitted and eyes narrowed.

The corridor in front of the room was empty and he continued to lean at the door. The brightness of the lamp hurt his eyes. How long had he been staring into the space, into the lamp? He hadn't heard anything since the confession from the girl.

Closing his eyes, he left.

…

…

…

He found her in the hospital park an hour later. It was raining, a downpour, and he was going to yell at her for leaving her umbrella and stayed in the rain, but he immediately lost the resolution once he saw her red eyes. Hidden by the rain, he could barely distinguish which was rain and which were tears.

Natsu found himself hugging her, pressing her head to his shoulder as he opened the umbrella to shield them from the harshness of the rain.

"It's okay, it's okay," he whispered repeatedly. She was shaking in his arms, either from the cold or her sadness.

"It's n-not o-okay!" She yelled, albeit muffled by the sobs. "It h-hurts, Natsu… I'm hurt…"

He could only nod his head yes. He was familiar with that feeling. He knew that feeling too well. Natsu felt numb and cold from the wetness that seeped from her dress to his shirt. It would have been better if it was his heart that was numb.

"Let's make a promise, Luce," he said quietly. "We will find you your happiness. We will find you a new love."

"P-Promise?"

"Promise."

…

…

…

 _Five years later_

"Natsu!"

He looked up from his song list on his phone, plucking out his left earphone. In front of him was a blonde haired girl, wearing a summer uniform and a light brown sweater tied around her hips. Her long hair was let loose, making it look so soft and silky.

"Lisanna and I will go to a karaoke bar today after school, do you want to come?" She asked, eyes sparkled hopefully as she leaned to play with his earphone. Behind her, he could see the white haired girl hiding her face with her friend's shoulder from him.

"Nah, I'll pass," he replied, much to the girls' disappointment. "Nii-san will be home tonight, so I have to prepare for the meal."

"Z-Zeref-san? Really?!" She half-shouted in disbelief. "Can I… I mean, if it's not a bother–"

"It's alright, Luce," he grinned, missing the white haired girl's heavy blush, "Come by seven if you want."

Lucy muffled a squeal as she ran out of his classroom, shouting in the process. "Thank you, Natsu! I love you!"

 _I love you!_

…

…

…

"I love you."

Natsu froze mid-step. The cup filled with hot green tea almost slipped through his grip. He looked through the kitchen door, silently staring at the girl his age sitting on the kitchen stool with arms propped on the kitchen island. Her head was cradled in her hands and she was smiling. There was the faintest blush on her cheeks.

She was still in her uniform, blue-striped skirt and white blouse with a dark blue blazer and white socks on her mid-calf. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail with a blue ribbon that matched her uniform. She was beautiful.

"I love you," he heard her repeating her sentence. Such a beautiful sentence came out from a beautiful person.

The man – yes, a man – sitting directly across her was, in return, staring at her with less emotion, just like what he had expected. His black hair gave the impression of him as a cold person and his red eyes often scared people just by looking at them. But she was a kind person and she saw past those outer appearances.

Natsu found himself gripping the cup rather too tight. He was lucky it didn't crack. His brother had said nothing since her statement and he decided to enter the room with a natural door-swinging-open so they wouldn't notice that he overheard things.

It would be nice if those words were meant to him.

…

…

…

The sun slowly set in the horizon and illuminated the sky with orange light. On the fourth floor of the school building, especially in his classroom, the scene was a beautiful thing to see.

He was folding the second paper crane when she said, "I confessed again."

It sounded out of blue if only he didn't witness her confession to his brother a week ago, but since he knew he wasn't all that surprised. But he supposed he had to fake one. He wasn't supposed to be there when she confessed and it was better to fake the enthusiasm or support.

"Really?" He asked, momentarily forgetting the half-done red paper crane. "When?"

"When he was back, a week ago," she replied, blowing some air into the paper crane of hers.

"And then?"

"And then you came in," she laughed. Her blue paper crane landed near his hand with a soft thud, creating a small, unnecessary damage on its left wing. "But, oh well, whether you turned up or not, I'm sure he wasn't going to answer me, anyway."

Natsu continued his origami, feigning ignorance towards the water bead that slowly fell to his desk from the brown eyes of the girl's.

…

…

…

He was drenched from head to toe, source of him running under the rain all the way from the school to his house. He remembered that his brother was home today and said that he would take several days off from work. Tomorrow was Saturday and he would definitely monopolize his brother by playing with him. Childish as it might sound, but he had no other time to act like that.

It was understandable that he was stunned, rooted to the spot upon seeing his brother and his childhood friend's lips locked together. Perhaps it was because of the rain that they hadn't realized his arrival, perhaps it was because of they were too into it and decided to ignore everything around them. But to him, to Natsu, it felt like a torture.

He should be cheering for her love, he should be happy about her happiness, but he didn't. It felt like there were needles that pricked his heart, slowly and agonizingly.

…

…

…

"What is love?"

Natsu glanced at her as they walked side by side under the open umbrella. Summer rain was a pleasant thing for those who hated the sun and those who use this very moment to be near their loved. The girl beside him gazed at the road ahead, not returning the gesture.

"Why do you ask such a thing?" He asked back. "You know what is it, Luce. You are in love, aren't you?"

He saw she smiled bitterly and heard a forced laugh. She stopped and he stopped. "Okay then," she glanced at him. "Another question: what connects love and happiness?"

Natsu scratched his head. "Well, you love someone and achieve happiness?"

"So love brings happiness?" She asked. Natsu started to walk as he noticed her shift on legs.

"I think so," he replied, gripping the umbrella tighter. "And pain. Love also brings pain."

The girl beside him turned her head to him again and he couldn't help but feeling happy just by walking with her. All over her face was written worry directed at him, a splash of curiosity, too, perhaps. Natsu gave her a lopsided smile and asked, "What?"

"You are… in pain…?" She asked slowly, as if unsure about what she said. "Why?"

Natsu scratched his pink hair. He lifted his head and saw the sad sky. "Because I love a girl who is already someone else's."

The wind blows softly, stroking his white scarf fluttering lightly at the touch. There was a rumbling sound far in the sky and he heard her asked, "Can you… do something about it? I mean, you should at least tell her your feeling, Natsu."

He only glanced at her wordlessly, although by the wind blew suddenly and she closed her eyes, she didn't see his weary face, laced with a sad smile.

…

…

…

 _Present_

She was dressed in white. White gown, white veil, white shoes, and he decided that she was as pretty as a porcelain doll of her collection. The pink corsage stitched on her dress splashed a soft touch, describing her innocence and kindness perfectly. Her golden hair was tied into a bun and her heart-shaped face was pink in happiness.

She twirled around, looking at her gown in pure excitement and saw her reflection in a body-length mirror. On the small table was a bouquet of white roses, the one she would throw towards the ladies after the ceremony, and it fitted her image perfectly.

"I'm nervous," she said, looking at herself in the mirror. "I'm so nervous! What should I do?!"

"Don't worry," he said, smiling widely. "You are the prettiest bride I've ever seen."

She turned on him, playing with the silky-smooth fabric in nervous. "But what if I tripped and fall in the aisle? Natsu, it would be an embarrassing thing to see!"

He approached her, tilting his head to the side and shook it in amusement. The black suit made he looked more mature, if only he wore the tie correctly. The bride pouted and tugged the tie open and re-tied it into a neater one. "You really can't tie this one, can you?" She smiled sheepishly.

"Heh," he smirked, "I've never intended it to be tied by myself from the start."

She laughed and he heard it like a jingling bell in his ears, melodious and calming. "You are happy, Luce," he stated.

"Yes, I am," she smiled tenderly.

"Then I have fulfilled my promise," Natsu gave her a grin and she blushed in return. "I think I deserve a present, ne?"

"Sure."

He kissed her on the forehead, lightly, carefully. "Now go, Luce. He is waiting for you in there."

She hugged him, her eyes started to water and he laughed. He then pushed her to the door, where the bridesmaids had been waiting for her. She smiled at him for the last time before they were gone to the main hall.

…

…

…

"You may kiss the bride."

Natsu watched as her eyes closed, and a lone happy tear fell to her cheek as his brother kissed her. Right now, she was the happiest person in this world and Natsu felt content. He had fulfilled his promise; her happiness.

But he never promised about _his_ happiness.

 _I love you!_

"I have loved you… from the very start," he whispered amidst the cheer of the guests, amidst the cry of the ladies. The giant bell rang in the air and he could hear the flapping wings of the doves took a flight. He smiled. "Lucy."


End file.
